206 University of California Puhlications in Botany [^^ol. 8 



filament was bent over and declined just above the basal segment. 

 The method of attachment and later growth of Chaetomorpha torta 

 and C. spiralis Okam. seem to indicate the possibility of the prostrate 

 species of Chaetomorpha being not later stages in growth of the erect 

 species, but distinct species, declined almost from the first and resem- 

 bling the species of Rhizoclonium in this respect as has been suggested 

 above. 



The status of the name is somewhat complicated. It was first 

 published by Farlow in the form "Chaetomorpha clavata var, torta 

 Farlow, ' ' in connection with a distributed specimen and printed label 

 but without description. The description was appended first by 

 Collins in 1909. The combination "Chaetomorpha torta Farlow" was 

 first used in 1897 by McClatchie, but without description or citation. 

 Yendo (1914, p. 264) used the combination "Chaetomorpha torta 

 McClatchie," citing the various references to the California plant and 

 assigning also as a s^'nonym, the Chaetomorpha spiralis Okamura 

 (1912, p. 95). Collins (1918, p. 78) has finally reviewed the situa- 

 tion and argued for the etiquette "Chaetomorpha torta (Farlow) 

 Yendo." It seems to us, while agreeing in general Math the prin- 

 ciples enunciated by Collins in his later paper, better to write "Chaeto- 

 morpha torta (Farlow) McClatchie" in Yendo, Notes on algae 2iew 

 to Japan, etc. Otherwise, and following out literally the conten- 

 tion of Collins, it should be written "Chaetomorpha torta (Collins) 

 Yendo," since Collins was the first to make the varietal name valid. 

 It must be borne in mind, however, that the situation is further com- 

 plicated by the fact that the varietal name had not been validated 

 when McClatchie published his combination. 



Chaetmnorpha torta has been associated with C. clavata (Ag.) 

 Kuetz. and with C. spiralis Okam. The former is a plant described 

 from the West Indies and has erect,' straight filaments, tapering from 

 below upward. C. spiralis, on the other hand, although attached at 

 first, is soon declined, flexuous, and spirally twisted, with segments 

 much narrowed towards the base, short and much swollen above and 

 reaching a maximum diameter of 2.5 mm. In all these characters, 

 C. spiralis differs from C. torta and should be kept distinct. From 

 Chaetomorpha ni&niligera Kjellman (1897, p. 24, pi. 4, f, 17-23), 

 an erect and delicate, though broad, species, both C. spiralis and C. 

 torta seem amply distinct. 



